The Yin and Yang Dragon
by aeg1s54545
Summary: Kazuto Kono, a teenager whose body is a battlefield for two warring Dragons, enters the unfamiliar world of the supernatural and tries to keep his conviction to destroy all Fallen Angels and to live a normal life. But being destined to end the world by bathing the world in eternal darkness or save it by spreading light to isn't normal for any teenager.
1. The Yin and Yang Dragon

Prologue: The Yin and Yang Dragon

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD

* * *

A young, black-haired boy laid on his stomach curled into a ball, blood puddled on the ground and his body twitching as a foot connected with his stomach, a cry of pain echoing in the dojo. His brown and violet eyes glistened with tears as his grandfather, a tall man with grey and yellow eyes and pale-grey hair in a loose ponytail, placed the tip of his sword to his throat.

"**Get up!**" , his grandfather Miamoto demanded as his steel broadsword glistened with blood. " I said get up! I don't care if we have to do this until you bleed out, you insolent brat! Get up and fight me again, Kazuto!" Kazuto stood up, the eight year old shaking as he took a weak ready stance with his muramasa held lightly in his right hand. Miamoto twisted his blade until Kazuto's fell limply to the ground, slammed the pommel into his stomach, and lifted the boy off the ground by the throat.

"Weak! Useless!" , Miamoto chastised as he choke-slammed the young boy into the ground. "You were to chosen to defend the princess of the Elven kingdom of Nadriendel! An honor few mortal men have ever received! Worse, I haven't even taught you how to control the Fallen Angel that chose you as her host! The Elvish Queen herself even voluteered to train you. And yet you forget that honor and throughout the entirety of your vigorous training, you proven to me that you're a waste of a human life! What's going to stop me from skinning you right here, boy?" Miamoto raised an eyebrow as the boy glowed with a blood-red aura.

Kazuto started to stand up, his muramasa shaking as his grip around it tightened to where his knuckles were white and energy built up around him. He dashed forward and the _clang_ of steel on steel filled the dojo. He kneed his grandfather in the stomach and he aimed for his throat, the blade glowing with an aura that he was to young to understand. His grandfather blocked it with his shield and slammed it into his stomach, spittle flying from his mouth and he smashed against the padded wall.

He clutched his heart, a painful surge of power thrumming through his body, grabbed a katana, and stood up, the change of his tranquil attitude noticed by his grandfather. 'I'm going to end this! Three years of this and it ends today!' In a flash of silver, he smashed both blades towards the shield and slashed downwards before he kicked his sneakers into his grandfather's jaw. Miamoto spat blood and grinned with sadistic glee.

"That's more like it!" , Miamoto cheered. Kazuto's slit, red eyes meeting his grandfathers grey and yellow with hatred burning in his eyes, black and white scales forming on his arms. Dual blades hit the shield with a unhuman amount of force and a blast of air seperated the two combatants. Kazuto was the first to strike with a flurry of blows, the silver peeling from the front.

Katanas clashed with a broadsword and the blades seperated again before clashing again and again and again. Kazuto thrust his sword forward, the power of the thrust breaking the blade. Miamoto smiled and his broadsword lifted into the air, the cross shape of the handle high in the air. Kazuto sliced sideways, the action separating Miamoto's legs from his body. Kazuto smiled, fangs visible underneath his lips, as his grandfather screamed in agonizing pain. Kazuto placed his foot on Miamoto's shoulders and licked the gleaming blade before a battle-cry escaped his lips as he thrusted the bloodied katana towards Miamoto's throat.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Kazuto's father, Kirigaya, a man in his late twenties with his black hair in a ponytail and his blue and green eyes laced with worry and anger. He ran forward and took the blade from his son before he knelt down and placed his hands on his shoulders. " Kazuto, you got to calm down, okay?" , Kirigaya asked as he fumbeled around in his pocket and wrapped his fingers around something , "Can you do that? Please? Kazuto, I'm begging you, you got to calm down."

Kirigaya looked up and barely dodged a slash from Kazuto's hand, razor sharp fingernails cutting into his skin. Kirigaya closed his eyes and he brought his hands together in a prayer, the look of sadness on his face. 'Please, let the spell hold.' Kirigaya opened his eyes and dodged another strike. Kirigaya looked around in confusion until his son's forehead connected with his jaw and Kirigaya fell to the ground, his forehead bruised. Kazuto scoffed and walked towards Miamoto's bloodied body with a smirk of satisfaction. His foot smashed down onto Miamoto's bloodied, stump of a leg, blood flying into the air.

"Get up!" , Kazuto shouted with evil present in his voice , "Get up! So I can kill you, again! And _again_! And **again**!" Kazuto lifted the man by his throat and slammed his fist into the man's eye, the force powerful enough to send him through the wall. Kazuto turned around and chuckeled darkly, "Hehehehe, who's wants to dance?"

"I'll have this dance.", a feminine voice answered. Kazuto whirled around, his red eyes narrowed, until he spotted the voices owner. She was a fairly endowed woman with blonde hair held in a braid, honey-brown eyes that could pierce your soul, her pale gold dress clinging to her to emphasise her curves, her highheels, her golden bow and hunting knife, her rich red lips curved into a smile, her pointed ears, and the jeweled crown sitting atop her head. Queen Nadriendel removed her knife from it's sheathe, a pale green serrated blade pointed towards him. She took her stance, a mix of offensive and defensive.

Kazuto smirked evilly and brought his muramasa to his side. "Ok. Let's dance!" He disappeared into an afterimage and reappeared behind the Elvish queen. She sidestepped and Kazuto stuck the muramasa in the floor boards. The queen smiled as he abandoned the sword and swung his fist at her and she moved like water as he swung recklessly. For the future Knight of Nadriendel, this simply would not do. She smirked as he began to exhaust his energy and flung a weak uppercut at her. She caught it and smiled at the shock on his face as she pressed the golden cross onto his forehead. The scales sizzled on his arm and his concsiousness faded. She caught him as he fell and placed him on the matted floor gently.

* * *

Six hours later...

Kirigaya and Queen Nadriendel watched Kazuto and Queen Nadriendel's daughter, Seron, play together. Kirigaya, sporting a splint, a blackeye, and a bruised forehead sighed at the sight of his son and the Elf. "We got lucky today. If I knew how brutal the training was, this never would have happened. I'm just glad he can't remember anything about what happened." Queen Nadriendel looked at him and pulled him closer. "The son of the man who slayed two of the Four Horsemen chosen to save the world from pure evil. Or burn it to it's core. I cannot find a more fitting host for the Yin and Yang Dragons. Fate has chosen a good person to decide the destiny of both the supernatural and human world. Now, it's up to us to guide him."

Queen Nadriendel hummed in agreement before she spoke. "No one could have foreseen this. Astarot and Longwei are awakening inside the boy and the Holy seals are failing. The Rosary of Sealing will not work for much longer. And when those Dragons awake, his body could rip itself apart." Kirigaya nodded. "The Demon Lord and the Peacewalker. If and when they wake up, he will be in extreme pain, the internal battle ripping him apart."

Queen Nadriendel smiled, a warm expression. "The battle of the Unholy Dragon of Destruction, Hate, and Lust going against the Holy Dragon of Peace inside the body of one human boy." Queen Nadriendel watched as her daughter pleaned against Kirigaya's son and placed a kiss on his cheek. She chuckled into her sleeve as he passed out from blushing and her daughter tried to wake him up. Queen Nadriendel smiled and pushed Kirigaya onto the bed and straddled him, rubbing her hips against his and forcing one of his hands to cup one of her large breasts. Kirigaya blushed at her actions and opened his mouth to speak.

"Maelneth, what are you doing?" Queen Nadriendel placed a finger on his lips. "I haven't been with a man since my husband disappeared and you haven't been with a woman in a long time." She giggled as she pulled the straps of her dress down. "I just want to show you why my name means lust in Elvish. I want another child and I want you to be the father." Kirigaya began to sputter.

"B-but... our children are going to be married someday. We can't just get married and then let them marry!" Maelneth tittered. "Come now, Kirigaya. I'm not asking you to marry me." She pushed him down on the bed.

* * *

Kazuto pulled the sleeping Seron from his shoulder and snuck his way downstairs from his bedroom, his feet scuffling against the carpet, and slipped into his father's library. Some part of him wanted to know why his arms sizzled under cold water or that his skin was hot to the touch for other people. Kazuto rubbed the sleep out of his brown-violet eyes before he began to look through his father's volumes.

"Come on..." he muttered as he looked around at the neat stack of books behind him. "Not a single volume about possible sicknesses." Kazuto sighed in impatience, placed the books back where they belonged, and began to sneak back out. Or at leeast he tried to if he didn't trip over a medium sized book and faceplanted on the wooden floor. He rubbed the red mark on his head and turned to look at the book, a bookmark marking a page. He opened the bookmarked page and his interest peaked at the first few words.

_The eternal dance of black and white_

Seeing the words that he usually associated with good and evil on the page peaked his curiosity. He continued to read but this time he read aloud.

"The Legend of the Yin and Yang Dragon

Long before humanity recorded it's history in it's own language and before the Great War, the Supernatural lived alongside humanity in peace. That was until Astarot, the Dragon of Destruction, Lust, and Hate had arrived in the world, his madness spread across the land. Longwei, the Holy Dragon of Peace, had challenged Astarot in exchange for humankinds safety from his blood-lust and to prevent madness from seeping into the peace of the world. What followed next changed the fate of many. The ensuing battle lasted 16 days and 16 nights; destruction on an unbelievable scale. Cities turned to rubble, towns burned, and thousands died under the hellfire that encased the world for 16 days. Eventually, the Three Factions worked together one last time befoe the Great War and killed Longwei and Astarot, sealing them both inside one Sacred Gear. The Sacred Gear was bestowed upon a man who was capable of working toward peace or burning the world in the hellfire of eternal flame. The gauntlet had two sides, one for good and one for evil. The Gauntlet of Unholy Evil or the Gauntlet of Angelic Restoration. There has been a total of two Yin and Yang dragons, the rarity of a host restricting the user. The user is born a Dragon hybrid and five seals must be wrapped around the heart to prevent the early use of the Sacred Gear. But soon the day would come when Longwei will save us all... or Astarot will burn us all."

Kazuto felt nervous as he turned to the next page, his voice wavering slowly.

"Sacred Gears of the Yin and Yang Dragon

Gauntlet of Unholy Destruction: gives the user the ability to scan a magical spell and use it as if it were his own or repurpose it to his/her preferences. When the user hses the gauntlet, his or her eyes will turn red and their blood may turn black and, Astarot's corruption beginning to turn their blood black from evil and their pushed mind to insanity. User is capable of destruction on an unimaginable scale and bloodlust will have taken their mind. The Juggernaut Drive is accesible and the gauntlet itself has the special ability to create the Power of Destruction and the Armor of the Demonic Dragon."

Kazuto felt fear tear it's way through his heart but he kept reading.

"Gauntlet of Angelic Restoration: gives the user the ability to regenerate flesh wounds based on the severity of the wounds. Their hair will turn a metallic silver and they will have the ability to turn friends or foes into members of a peerage that will fight alongside the user and to summon the Armor of the Knight. The armor can shift into the Juggernaut Drive and has the ability to use powerful magic unknown to any Wizar or supernatural being."

Kazuto's blood froze as he read the next line in his mind.

Current Yin and Yang Dragon: Kazuto Kono

Kazuto shut the book and ran back into his room and tried to forget what he was. For all he knew, by the time he was asleep, it partially worked. But the word 'Dragon' bore into his mind and he could feel the burning of his arms again. This time, he knew what it was. And this time, he hid his face under the blanket and went back to sleep. He got two hours of sleep before he woke up with another feeling of burning.


	2. The Day Everything Changed

Chapter one: The Day Everything Changed

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD

* * *

'Holy shit, school is boring.' a young man cursed in his thoughts as he slammed his head against his desk repeatedly, a bruise on his forehead forming and fading quickly as he repeated the action. "Mister Kono." his teacher snapped, her eyes focusing on him as his head stopped mid-slam , "Do you have something to say about my lesson?"

'No. Just want you to know how many incomplete sentences you're using.' His friend, Issei Hyoudou, poked him in the back as he closed his eyes to sleep. "Kazuto, you got to stick it out. The school superintendent is here and your just pissing off Miss Riley." Kazuto nodded his head on his desk as he closed his eyes and waited for the bell to ring.

"So as for summer vacation." Miss Riley announced as the final two minutes of class remained and the class sat at the edge of their seats. "As you know I..." She stopped talking as the superintendent scribbled on his page, most likely making a decision if she deserved that twenty percent bonus. Now since this was english class and you can't have incomplete sentences and Kazuto was an insufferable smartass at times, he decided to finish her sentence.

"Wanna rock and roll all night!" , Kazuto sang the lyrics to "Rock and Roll All Night" by KlSS which happened to be his teacher's least favorite song and did a weird movement with his arms, "And party every day!" The entire class laughed at Kazuto's antics. Even the superintendent was laughing which was weird since it wasn't even that funny.

Two minutes of boring reprimands later, Kazuto dashed out the door as the bell rang and quickly ran out the push door. 'Shit! Shit! Shit! Almost there!' Kazuto stood at the entrance to the bus until he was thrown to the ground, a kick to the ribs silencing his protests before he was forced to his feet.

"Nice try, Kono." , a deep voiced male said as he grabbed Kazuto by his throat and threw him into an alley , "My friends and I are going to make you pay for ever beating me in the kendo championship."

* * *

A man in his late 30's sat in a recliner as he read his magazine on mechanical engineering he had received from work. He had long, jet black hair in a ponytail and heterochromatic eyes. He guided his blue and green eyes along the page. Kirigaya Kono was waiting for his son to return from his last day of middle school so he could celebrate his son's 16th birthday. He pulled the photo of his wife out of his wallet, her shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes glowing with happiness as she held her baby.

'If only you could see him now, Kasumi.' he thought as he placed his finger on the glass. 'He's grown so much now.' He stood from his recliner and walked to the closet and pulled the wrapped object from the closet with an index card taped to it, the word Valkyrie written across it in big bold letters. 'Hope he likes this.' He put it behind the recliner and waited some more, his engineering magazine not so interesting all of a sudden. He stood up quickly as the doorbell rang, his feet silent as he held suspicion of as to who was at the door. He quickly went into the master bedroom and pulled off his clothes, a metal body underneath as he went into the closet, walking out with a metal box. He hid the box next to his recliner in case things got a little… messy.

Kirigaya pulled the door open, the blast of cool wind messing up his ponytail and sending strands into his face. Kirigaya huffed in annoyance before a males voice cut over the news. "I can't believe that the man who brought the supernatural world to it's knees is nothing but a simple engineer." Kirigaya turned around quickly, only for something sharp to pass through his stomach.

* * *

"Aah! Dammit!" Kazuto shouted through grit teeth as he sat still in the alleyway, setting his bones with a bloody nose, a swollen black eye, and a couple of bruises across his body. He let his arm rest and closed his eyes as he took a shaky breath. "Another mugging like that and I'll be the human equivalent to a Tokyo alleyway." Kazuto sighed as he pulled himself up and began the fourteen minute limp home. He walked into his small house, his house keys clattering against the desk near the door.

"Hey Dad, I'm home!" he shouted as he pulled his shoes off and pulled his hat off his eyes. "Dad?" His nose twinged as the heavy smell of blood invaded his nostrils. He turned the corner and he felt his blood turn cold. His father lay on the ground split in half, his organs hidden by the deep red puddle of blood around him. Kazuto felt his stomach twist as the smell of iron strengthened as his nose seemed to void itself of everything but the smell of blood.

"So the Yin-Yang dragon is nothing but a weak little boy?" a voice laced with evil cackled as a man appeared from the shadows. His long, spiky red hair unkempt and greasy, his eyes black as coal, his wings black as night, and his cloak covering his entire body as a purple spear of light formed in his hand. Kazuto backed up, his legs trembling in fear and his throat dry.

"The fuck?" he cursed as the man's wings swept forward and blew a powerful gust of air, sending Kazuto across the room into ths kitchen. Kazuto rushed to the knife cabinet, his hands trembling as the man watched him with amusement at his desperation for survival. Kazuto wrapped his fingers around the knife before he turned around and faced the winged man. 'This is it. Do or die. No turning back. Come on, you idiot! You used a sword before! What's so hard about using a kitchen knife?'

"You think you can kill me with that small knife." he mocked. "Even your father, the slayer of Famine and Pestilence, couldn't kill me. Go ahead, I'll give you the first shot." Kazuto gulped and his grip tightened on the knife before his nerves calmed and his mind cleared as he walked forward. Kazuto quickly plunged the knife into the man's heart, a startled gasp escaping his lips.

He rapidly pulled the silver blade out and repeated the process multiple times until the man's chest was full of holes and Kazuto's right arm was covered in blood. Kazuto dropped the knife and vomited, emptying his stomach completly, the adrenaline rush of the thrill of holding a blade again wearing off as he collapsed to the floor, his body taxed of all energy.

* * *

1 week later...

Kazuto stood over his father's grave, emotions void in his eyes and tears flowing freely as he stared at the name etched out on stone.

'Why do I have to be so weak?' he thought. 'In the end, I couldn't help my dad.'

One week has passed since that fateful day and a lot has changed for Kazuto After his father's death. No one in his family would take him in. His father's side of the family were on a different side of the globe and his mother's side wouldn't take him in because they worked a lot. Much to Kazuto's sadness.

His homing situation changed too. Issei told his parents and they volunteered to take him in. In six months, he was going to attend Kuoh Academy, a school that recently turned co-ed. Kazuto and Issei were going to be in their first year of high school in a few months. Kazuto clenched his fist, the skin of his hand turning red as his fingernails pierced his skin.

His heterochromatic eyes were glaring at the sky with intense hatred and his pupils were narrowed into slits. He slammed his fist onto the concrete that covered his father's grave. Something inside him encouraged the feeling he felt and he didn't deny it. He wanted to kill every single Fallen Angel, to feel the excitement of taking another life, to watched the blood drip from his sword.

"I'm gonna put a stop to this!" he shouted. "I'm going to wipe them out, drive their race to extinction! I'm going to kill them with my bare hands!" , he pointed his glare to the sky and raised his fist like God Himself was listening. "Do you hear me?! My bare hands!" Kazuto grabbed the swor dhis father wanted to give him for his birthday, Valkyrie, and made his way to the Hyoudou household. 'This isn't about revenge.' He told himself. 'This is about justice and protecting the weak from the wicked.'

He walked into the Hyoudou house and up the stairs, pulling the door shut to his room. He sat down and on his bed and pulled Valkyrie, the Defier of Death, from it's scabbard as he walked into his room at the top of the stairs and drew his finger along the cold steel, drawing crimson red blood. 'I'll kill them all!' That day Kazuto made a promise. A promise to protect the weak and kill the wicked.

* * *

One month later...

A body with jet black wings laid on the ground as a sword was withdrawn from the neck, blood spilling to the ground as the sword wielder removed the Fallen Angel's wings from it's back and plucked a single, black feather from it. The masked figure twirled the feather in his gloved finger, the blood flowed slowly down the blade he held.

The sound of flapping wings caused him to draw his gun and raise his sword. Three figures with golden wings surrounded him on three sides. A man with golden Angel wings, armor on his shoulders, and a halo floated above his golden blonde hair. The Archangel, Michael and his sister Gabriel. The swordsman kept the barrel of the gun leveled at Michael's head, the safety long from on.

"Step away from me and I won't have to use this, Michael." he spouted with caution in his voice. "Step back and I won't start another war." That was a lie and he knew it. He didn't harm innocents but he did kill. He killed evil beings but he knew it made no difference. Murder was murder, no matter the justification to end one living beings life even if it preserved others.

"We're not here to cause harm." Michael tried to defuse the situation with words. "We're just here to extend you an offer you can't refuse." The swordsman lifted an eyebrow under his mask. Could they be asking what they think he was? No. No way they would recruit him.

"All right." his mask hissed. " What do you want?"

Michael made a gesture for him to walk with him and he did as he was told. He stood next to Michael, his arms crossing and his masked hissed again. Michael turned, a smile on his face.

"How would you like to become an Exorcist? You'll be training with my sister, her Brave Saints, and the best of the best. What do you say?" Michael asked. The masked swordsman looked at him and back to the concrete. He looked at Michael, the mask's eyes adjusting as the eyes behind them became determined. "When do I start?" he asked as he allowed his sword tip to touch the ground. "I need a challenge and I believe its quite obvious that the Fallen aren't proving much of one."


	3. Exorcist

Chapter two: Exorcist

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD

* * *

Three months later...

Kazuto smashed Valkyrie against Durandal, the blue and gold blade reflecting his friends blue hair with a green stripe, her dark yellow eyes gazing at him in amusement as he smiled a cocky grin before she knocked the blade from his hands and pointed the blade at his throat. Xenovia smiled at her friend before she lowered the blade and looked at him in pride. "For a self-taught swordsman, you nearly bested me again, Kazuto." Kazuto smirked and placed Valkyrie on top of his right shoulder. "I feel great! Like I can take Griselda in a one-on-one match without Valkyrie!" He felt two eyes focus on him and a sword sliding forth from it's scabbard.

"Is that a challenge, Kazuto?", a female chuckled as he jumped up in fear, his braided ponytail whipping into her face. Kazuto whirled around and started to bow in apology as her blue eyes glittered in amusement. 'Damn me and my stupid mouth.' Griselda unsheathed her sword and threw Kazuto a silver serrated sword. Kazuto opened his mouth to protest but parried a strike from her sword of light. Kazuto whirled around and struck hers, a powerful spark of light and steel flashing as they pushed against each other. "My rival is getting better.", Griselda teased, her sister clothing flaring upwards as their swords clashed again and the Q on the back of her left hand was visible. "But you still can't match me."

"Really? I actually expected more from Gabriel's Queen of Hearts!", Kazuto said, flashing a cocky grin before he ducked under a high swipe from Griselda's blade. Kazuto back flipped backwards and kicked Griselda's blade from her hand and pointed the tip of the blade at her throat. Instead of surrendering, Griselda yanked his arm downward and peeled his fingers from the blade and knocked him to the ground with a heel kick. Kazuto felt the cold sensation of silver against his throat before it withdrew from his skin and a hand helped him up. Kazuto and Griselda smiled at each other before they bowed in respect to each other. Griselda tugged at Kazuto's cheeks in a way that Kazuto enjoyed.

"In all the Exorcists I've seen, you have the most drive. You seem to have a determination unlike any other. It's interesting to see." Griselda let go of Kazuto's cheeks and handed him Valkyrie. "We'll go again once you get back. You still got that meeting with a Gabriel in three minutes so best not to keep her waiting." Kazuto glanced at his watch in annoyance, sheathed Valkyrie, and walked away quickly. He waved as he pushed open the church door and shouted, "I still want that rematch, Griselda!", over his shoulder. He walked until he came face to face with a wooden door and rapped his knuckles against it three times. "Come in!", a cheerful feminine voice answered.

Kazuto stepped into a small office room and bowed in respect at the voluptuous woman in front of him, her warm smile seen in his peripheral vision. He stood up straight and smiled as he pulled Gabriel into a hug since she didn't like it when he bowed to her, her curly blond hair and green eyes hidden as she buried her head into the nook of his shoulder before pulling away, her cheeks tinted a light red. Kazuto felt her forehead and looked into her eyes, her face a deep red. "Are you alright, Gabriel? Your feel a little warm. Do you need to lie down a bit?", Kazuto asked worriedly as he picked Gabriel up bridal style and laid her down on the futon that she kept in the corner of her office near a window.

Gabriel tried to sit up but Kazuto but her back against the cushion and said in a caring tone: "Stay right here. I'll be back with some food and water." Gabriel watched him stand up and hurry out the door, his grey cloak fluttering down and covering Gabriel's body. She sighed before she pulled the coat closer to her body, the scent of cherries greeting her nose. She sighed as she thought of Kazuto and his smile and his long black hair and his mismatched eyes and his care for her and others. She sighed in sadness as she thought about him. 'Even if he does return my feelings, it's not meant to be.', Gabriel thought. 'I'm an Angel and he is a human (Albeit a handsome human, she added) who I'll outlive and mourn for a long time.'

Kazuto opened the door with a wooden bucket, a clean rag, a glass of water, and a bowl of warm soup in hand as he walked toward her with a worried look. He pulled a chair next to her, a wet compress in his hand as he pressed it to her forehead. She felt the cool water run down her head and Kazuto's other hand rub her head. The warmth of her cheeks return as Kazuto kneeled down and met her eyes, a soup-filled spoon in his hand. A small part of her wanted to feed herself but decided to open her mouth as Kazuto fed her. She ate spoonful after spoonful of soup, the delicious taste remaining in her mouth for a while before she realized that the bowl was empty.

Kazuto removed the dry compress, placed a hand to her forehead, noticed the warmth was gone, and gave her the glass of water. She sat up as she sipped the water, her emerald green eyes drawn to Kazuto as he moved the chair back to it's place of origin.

"What type of soup was that, Kazuto?", Gabriel asked. "It was rather delicious." Kazuto pulled a silver ingot of metal from his jacket and began to sharpen Valkyrie, a distinct smile forming on his lips. "It's my father's secret recipe.", he admitted, his smile turning bitter. "Found it in one of his journals he left me. Alongside that damn case that won't open without a three digit pass-code..." Gabriel could hear the anger and sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry.", she apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to make you-" Kazuto waved his hand quickly, his features neutral again. "Eh, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. So...", Kazuto turned toward her, placing Valkyrie in its scabbard. "What do you need?" Gabriel's eyes went from happy and cheerful to business-like and cheerful.

"Call in the entirety of exorcists. We'll need them all for this raid.", she demanded. Kazuto nodded, grabbed his cloak, and walked out to gather his brothers and sisters in arms.

* * *

Gabriel stood over a table, both of her hands placed palms down onto a table with the layout of an abandoned warehouse, her eyes focusing on Kazuto with a grave look on her face.

"Our Fallen Angel informants have given us information that a total of seventy-six high-tier Fallen have gathered in this abandoned warehouse. The leader, Azureil, plans to use an unknown Black Magic spell to unleash an unknown Biblical force to bend to his will. His goal remains unknown but Michael, my brother, has made this raid the top priority for the newer exorcist recruits." Gabriel's gaze stopped on Kazuto, his silver skull mask in his hands, and mouthed the words 'Be careful.' Kazuto flashed her a grin and she blushed.

Kazuto turned around and placed the mask over his face. "Alright people! We got evil on the move and we're the only ones who know how to stop it. Let's go!" The exorcists marched off, laughing and joking the way friends do, never noticing the feeling of dread from the newer recruits. Gabriel stood at the door of the church, her hand to her large chest with a smile on her face. 'Come back to me Kazuto. And I'll tell you how I feel about you once you do get back.'

* * *

Kazuto parried the strike of a Fallen's wing, Valkyrie glowing blue with Holy magic as he blocked three more strikes that were fast as lightning. Kazuto faked a swipe and severed the Fallen's head, her head rolling across the concrete as her body fell to the ground, blood splurting from the stump of her neck. Kazuto turned and punched another Fallen Angel square in the chest, cold, darker than red blood splattering against his face as he pulled the silver knife from his chest.

Kazuto threw the knife across the room and impaled a Fallen Angel's throat and turned around, revolver at the ready, before unloading a round into a Fallen's head. Kazuto dashed across the room, his cloak billowing behind him, gun at the ready, and pounced unto another Fallen Angel. He pulled her by the hair, her brown hair stretching, and put Valkyrie's blade to her throat.

"Please!", she begged. "Please don't kill me. I'm not a warrior, I'm a researcher! I study books and spells to solve puzzles and help the confused. I'm not meant to be a warrior. I can help your cause just please, please, spare me." Kazuto hesitated, his hand shaking before he noticed the stares he received from the other exorcists, who began to take his hesitation as a sign of weakness, forcing him to make a quick decision.

Kazuto plunged the blade into her stomach. She gasped in pain and shock before her pink eyes closed and tears flooded down her cheeks. He grit his teeth in anger as her blood spilt to the floor. Kazuto looked around, noticed that no exorcist was watching since they ran after more Fallen Angels, pulled her outside, and kneeled down next to her. He pulled gauze, a needle and thread, and disinfectant from his satchel, placing his hands on her wound. He wiped the wound clean with disinfectant, the Fallen Angel shifting on the ground which did some interesting things with her large chest, and Kazuto struggled to hold her still.

"Hold still!", Kazuto shouted as he placed a hand on her shoulder, his hands fumbling with a spool of thread and a needle. "You're making this damn near impossible to do!" He pulled the string through the needle and placed it at the entrance wound. "This is going to hurt. A fuck ton." He pulled the needle through the skin. She screamed in agonizing pain, her body shaking in pain. She screamed again, the needle barely through the third stitch, before Kazuto turned away as his hands began to shake.

"You got to calm down, okay?", Kazuto said as he put the needle near the skin. "I know it hurts but you gotta keep still. Uh, what's your name?" He noticed how awkward his tone was and mentally cursed. '_Of course it's awkward you dolt. You stabbed her and now you're helping her. You idiotic bastard.' _Kazuto sighed but she smiled and said, "Anmael. My name is Anmael." Kazuto smiled in return and held out his hand so she could sit up. He got the entrance wound shut while she told him her name. She took his hand and sat up.

"My name is Kazuto Kono. Pleasure to meet you Anmael.", he said as he made it halfway through stitching the exit wound. "So, Anmael, what do you like to do?" Anmael smiled. "I like puzzles! And mysteries. And helping the confused.", she said with happiness laced in her voice. She leaned over to Kazuto, an interested look in her violet eyes. "You're confused. You're lost. You've no reason to fight and yet you still do, throwing human morality out the window. Tell me, why didn't you kill me like the others."

Kazuto's happy gaze turned dark. "I don't kill innocents, which you won't do since you like to help the confused. I could tell from your confession that you had more interest in solving puzzles than fighting." Kazuto gestured to the skies. "You're free to go after I finish bandaging this wound. If you need help with the supernatural, I'm stuck here so you know where to find me." Kazuto wrapped the bandages around her stomach and pulled away. Anmael unfurled her black wings, almost ready to fly away from the warehouse but turned around to face Kazuto, a grateful smile on her face. Anmael pulled a card from nowhere and wrote an adress.

"If you need an informant, all you have to do is come to me. After all, I do love a puzzle." She smirked, winked, then flew away. Kazuto pocketed the card and hid his medical supplies, his heterochromatic eyes shifting left and right for any signs of danger. He picked Valkyrie up from the blood-stained concrete. Kazuto pulled his revolver out and made his way to Azureil's keep. '_Who knows? Maybe having a Fallen Angel informant could be helpful.'_

* * *

Kazuto slammed his shoulder into the oak wood door Azureil slammed shut as he hid like a coward. Kazuto pulled the revolver from its holster, pulled the hammer back, and put his shoulder to the door frame. "Open up Azureil, you fucking coward!" Azureil's ax embedded itself seven inches from Kazuto's shoulder.

Who the hell are you?!", Azureil shouted. "What do you want from me?!"

"I'm the Devil! Who's asking?!", Kazuto replied with a shout.

"The _Devil_ isn't welcome here!", Azureil declared. "So fuck you exorcist!"

"Fuck me?", Kazuto said with an appalled tone. "Fuck you!"

An exorcist with brown hai and brown eyes pushed him back and put his boot to the door, the door flying of its hinges without the man having to use so much as the amount of force used to rip paper. Azureil's silhouette was seen as the fire escape shut behind him, the moonlight casting his shadow.

"Move it, you zero!", the man barked. "I don't know what Gabriel sees in a loser like you but I won't hesitate to kill you if Azureil escapes." He pushed past Kazuto and followed Azureil. Kazuto sheathed Valkyrie and holstered his pistol before leaning against a support pillar, sliding down slowly and watching other exorcists rush past him and towards Asureil and his chaser. Kazuto slid down a support pillar, his weapons clattering to the ground, and pulled off his fingerless glove. The thick, darker-than-red blood that coated his fingers. He grabbed the bottle of alcohol from his satchel and poured it over his hand, the liquid merging with the red and making the smell of alcohol even more pungent. Kazuto stood up quickly, made his way to a corner, and threw up his dinner. He wiped the sour bile from his lips and turned around to gather his weapons. Then a blood-curdling scream pierced the silence.


	4. Loss

Chapter three: Loss

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD

* * *

Kazuto slammed the door shut behind him twice as fast than he opened it, the scream echoing in his head as his combat boots beat against the ground. He pulled Valkyrie from its black sheath, the Defier of Death springing forth from the scabbard with a loud metallic _Shing!_, the black blade reflecting the silver moonlight into the pitch black of the alley. Kazuto sniffed and the sweet iron scent of freshly spilt blood fill his nostrils with its sickly sweet smell. He froze in terror, his body unwilling to comply to his commands and move faster than he did in the warehouse's alley, as the horrific sight of gore bathed into his eyes, the color red splashed around the concrete with two dozen bodies, some dead and the others dying, strewn about in random crumpled masses. A young thirteen year old laid in her own blood and innards, the girl's blood coating her clothes like a foul smelling paint. She cried in pain as her intestines laid on the ground, her yellow eyes dull as she cried for mother and father.

"Momma. Momma!", she cried, her noticeable Spanish accent faltering. "Daddy. Daddy... Daddy, Mommy, please… I don't wanna die. Please. Please. Plea-" Her lips stopped quivering as her head lolled back to the concrete surface. Kazuto felt his stomach turn into lead as the cries of the dying penetrated his skull, his hands attempting to cover his ears. It did nothing.

"Momma!", a twenty year old exorcist screamed as he held his insides, his blonde hair stained with blood, gore, and dirt. "Momma! Aaaaah!"

"It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.", a ten year old girl repeated like a mantra, a large vertical slash splitting an artery in her shoulder.

"Oh God, it hurts. Please God, don't let me suffer anymore. Please have mercy.", a woman with orange hair sobbed, her legs ripped from their sockets. She saw the silver dagger next to her and pulled it closer to her with her middle finger, grabbed the hilt, and placed it on her chest. And then slit her throat. Kazuto didn't fail to notice the peaceful smile on her face, her white teeth reddened by blood.

Kazuto wanted to be sick. He really did. It would at least give him an excuse to turn around and look away. But he kept looking. And looking, just watching death unfold. But something inside of him burst open like a dam and Kazuto felt the bottled up anger he kept hidden begin to sizzle with white-hot, unbridled fury. A type of fury that could set a man's soul on fire and give him the ability to kick logic to the curb and do the impossible. And Kazuto was going to do just that. He brought the Defier of Death in front of his eyes, his eyes indecisive to be red or the usual heterochromatic, his hair lightening to a metallic silver, black and white scales forming on his arm briefly with the familiar burning of his arms returning. Kazuto brought the gleaming blue blade to eyelevel, glided his finger across the silver outlined blade, the gleam of blue turning a dark shade of violet, the gleam more of a flame now as his blood glittered against Valkyrie. He turned around and faced the dead, guilt and sadness burning in his eyes.

* * *

Kurenai Tetsuya, a young man with brown hair with silver strands mixed within, his red eyes glancing at his watch in frustration before he began to unsheathe and resheathe his nodachi, Bloodwing, repeatedly. His pale skin shined in the moonlight, making his hawkish and angular features standout, the scar over his left cheek more visible, the faded scar tissue barely noticeable in the sunlight. He glided his tongue over his fangs, a nervous habit he developed since he was eleven. Still, being a twenty-eight year who still has his eleven year old habits was kind of embarrassing. He turned to his partner, Jarreth Wheeler, the soon to be Werewolf King of the Silverrain Clan. Jarreth flipped to the next page of his porno magazine, his brown eyes holding the usual mischievous glint it always held. He held the magazine by the cover and three pages fell out, making Jarreth whistle as he ogled the woman in the picture.

Everyone knew Jarreth was a mega-pervert. Three hundred and fifty years of immortality never changed that, even if he was supposed to be a King. His Dodgers baseball cap that covered his white wolf ears began to twitch with anticipation. He leaned back into the chair that he set up in the middle of the road to prevent possible escaped Fallen Angels. "Gah, damn it!", he groaned, the magazine fluttering to the ground and landing on a rather interesting photo. "Where the hell are they?! They should've killed Azureil by now!" Jarreth's war axe, a short, grey-bladed weapon with silver around the edge of the blade with timber wolves decorating the sides, thumped against his thigh as he began to pat it rythmically against his leg. He stood up abruptly, the wooden chair thudding against the asphalt. "Fuck this!", Jarreth cried as he pulled his axe from the loop in his belt and charged towards the others.

"Jarreth, we were told to wait here in case a Fallen Angel manages to get past the others." Kurenai watched Jarreth skid around the corner, sighed in frustration, and drew Bloodwing from the white scabbard his wife gave him with a barely audible whisper of metal against metal. He ran after Jarreth, his heeled shoes denting the asphalt road, his legs pumping in long strides. Since Kurenai was taller than Jarreth, he would've caught up to him as soon as he turned the corner. His prediction would've been true if he didn't bump straight into the Perverted Silver King. Kurenai mumbled something about stupid, lazy werewolves and their damn dog breath before he opened his red, reptilian slit eyes to glower at Jarreth. He stood up, his heeled feet slamming into the comcrete and stood next to Jarreth. He saw the blankness of Jarreth's eyes, the usual perversion and liveliness gone, his brown eyes gone yellow in rage. Kurenai peered over his shoulder.

Kurenai felt sadness and anger build as he just stared at the bodies of his friends.

The bodies of the dead laid in peaceful positions, their heads propped up by the satchels every exorcist ever had to wear to hold Holy supplies and weapons. Kurenai didn't fail to notice that their severed limbs had been sewn back in place, their wounds cleaned, and the dirt, blood, and gore cleaned from their hair and skin. The fallen ha their weapons placed in their hands so the blade was down towards their feet. Kurenai turned away, a hand over his mouth as his stomach turned to lead and tears threatened to fall as he recognized a young girl lying dead, her braided orange hair scrubbed of blood. "How many?", Kurenai asked, trying hard to keep his voice from cracking. Jarreth sniffed deeply before he said, "Twelve here, twelve in four other locations. The warehouse has nine dead outside the entrance after two went after Azureil and another went to use the bathroom." Jarreth's eyes took on a lecherous glint. Kurenai raise an eyebrow.

"How the hell do you know that, you crazy son of a bitch?", Kurenai sighed, a palm on his forehead.

Jarreth turned to Kurenai and glared up at him, their height difference making the stand-off a rather hilarious thing to watch from a distance. "Hey, don't bring my mother into this, Bat Boy!"

Kurenai looked down and his eyes took on a dangerous gleam. "The hell you call me Dick Breath?" Jarreth backed away as his ego took a wound.

"Oh, yeah? Well, your teeth are stained red from your last transfusion pack, Tomato Can!", Jarreth growled.

"Yeah?", Kurenai hissed. "Well at least I don't drink from the toilet, Ass Breath." Jarreth leaned against the alley brickwall as his ego took a direct hit from a shotgun.

"And? Is that all you got?", Jarreth taunted, making a 'bring it on' gesture with his hands. "Come on."

"You're not funny!", Kurenai shouted, affectively breaking Jarreth's ego temporarily as he hit the concrete. "Now, tell me, are Kazuto and the others alive?" Jarreth stood up, wiped what was left of his ego from his hands and onto his jeans, and stood up. "Yeah…", Jarreth said as he sniffed deeply again. "Cipher and the other two are alive with Cipher on Azureil's tail." Kurenai gave him a questioning look again.

"What now?", Jarreth groaned.

"You keep calling the kid Cipher.", Kurenai said as he crossed his arms. "Why?" Jarreth laughed like he found something beyond funny.

"Damn kid thinks he'll be feared by Fallen Angels. Pfft, he's no more than a joke.", Jarreth smiled before he spoke again. "Kid's no more than a zero. A Cipher. Hell, if he can kill a Fallen Angel without help from another exorcist, I'll be fuckin' amazed." Kurenai gave him a look of contempt.

"At least give the kid a chance.", Kurenai said with venom.

"Ha, yeah right!", Jarreth said with a sneer. "He has to earn that chance. But like the fear, admiration, and respect he wants, he has to earn it. Too bad it will never happen. I bet the kid's somewhere in a corner, crying for his mommy." Kurenai sighed. "You're an asshole Jarreth."

* * *

"Kazuto, you jackass.", Kazuto said to himself as he ran after Azureil, his black cloak billowing behind him. "This is how you got yourself into trouble at school. Just chase after trouble and trouble will find you." Kazuto ran after Azureil, the Fallen Angel running faster than him by a few miles, one of his wings ripped from their sockets. "Get back here, you murderer!", Kazuto shouted as rage blinded his actions, his hip-length black her turned a metallic silver, his red, reptilian slit eyes glaring at the retreating Fallen Angel. "Don't worry! I'm just going to slice your head off and shove it up your theoretical ass since you seem to talk a lot of shit!" Kazuto rounded the corner, his combat boots skidding against the smooth concrete, Azureil a few streets ahead of him before he turned a corner. "Dammit!", Kazuto snarled as he picked up the pace, going lightning fast as he planted his palm on the ground and slid around the corner.

Kazuto stood back up from the slide, his legs burning as he slid his foot against the concrete. Azureil escaped. Kazuto slumped down to the ground, the cool midnight air blowing the lose strands of his braided ponytail into his face. He put his half fingered gloved hands over his eyes, the normal color of his eyes and hair returning. He took a shuddering, shaky breath as he pictured all the dead standing beside him with their blood staining their skin, their eyes dead of emotion and void of life. Then he imaged their cold, dead eyes all staring at him, wanting him to catch their killer and serve the judgement Azureil deserved. "I'm sorry.", Kazuto whispered, his voice laced with emotion. "I can't do this alone." He felt a cold hand grab his shoulder and he removed his eyes from his hands. Kurenai stood over him, Jarreth at his side, a grim and sad expression on his pale face. "We're in this together. We'll find this asshole," Kurenai lifted Kazuto up and the three exorcists stood ahold we to shoulder, "And we're going to kill him."


	5. Cipher

Chapter four: Cipher

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD

* * *

Kazuto stood at the end of a long dirt road with a map in his hand, a dilapidated building standing fourty-five feet away from him with its broken windows, peeling paint, and broken bricks. Kurenai and Jarreth stood at his side, the two Youkai glaring at the last place they wanted to be. Kazuto glared at the two before he folded the map and looked at the piece of paper to check the adress his Fallen Angel informant gave him. Deciding between finding and ending a genocidal High-class Fallen Angel with information from another Fallen or to keep the grudge up, the information was the lesser of two evils. Despite the fact that he made a promise to wipe out the Fallen Angel race, Kazuto wasn't above asking an Angel for information. Then again, no one but Kazuto knows that Anmael is alive nor do they need to know that Kazuto healed her. Kazuto quickly and quietly walked towards the door and kicked it open, dust kicked into the air as the wooden door clattered against the tiled floor loudly.

"Ugh, this suuuucks!", Jarreth whined as the three exorcists walked between the dusty aisle of the green carpet that led to the stairs. "Why the fuck would a genocidal dickbag hide in a library? It makes him look like a big nerd!" Kurenai stopped and read a dusty chalkboard.

"Library of Dark Magic and Necromancy." Kurenai read aloud before his face contorted in aggravation. "Okay, what the fuck? Who the hell builds a fucking library in the middle of buttfuck nowhere to rent out illegal tomes for practitioners of Immoral Magic? This is stupid. No, this is beyond stupid. This is regoddamndiculous." Jarreth feigned a shocked look.

"Blasphemy!", Jarreth shouted loud enough to make Kazuto slap him on the back of his head lower his volume. "I'm telling Gabriel you said that." Kurenai turned to glare at him, his red eyes glowing like a flame in the dark library.

"You wouldn't!", Kurenai hissed.

"Oh, but I would," Jarreth goaded, his lips stretched into the type of smile you usually want to punch off of someone's face. "And you know it too." Kurenai took a slow menacing step forward which made Jarreth take a step back.

*Creeeeeeeeaaaakkk!*

Kazuto glared at Jarreth and looked around, hoping Azureil didn't hear anything, and breathed out a sigh of relief. Then the gunfire broke out. The three exorcists dove behind the bookshelves, bullets ricocheting off of the stone floor or blasting holes into the paper of the hardcover books. Kazuto pulled his revolver from his cloak, the holster wrapped around his shoulder, and checked the rounds he had left. He had four and a few more held in his pocket. Kazuto pulled back the hammer of his gun and turned to Jarreth and Kurenai, the Youkai taking cover behind a table they pushed over, the volumes and volumes of books piled on the floor as they swept them off in a flurry.

"Jarreth," Kazuto shouted over the bark of gunfire, a bullet splintering the bookcase, "Kurenai! You got eyes on shooter?" Kurenai looked up and flinched as all the gunfire concentrated on his raised head, the spray of bullets forcing him to duck.

"There's five of them!", Kurenai shouted, his loud voice taking over the silence of the library as the bullets stopped raining down. "Five human mercenaries with Russian-made Kalishnokovs!" Kurenai and Jarreth, in synchrony, pulled out there weapons. Jarreth worked the slide on his Spas-12 that he pulled from the hem of his duster and Kurenai pulled out a petite little .9 millimeter and their guns burst to life in a crack of thunder that made Kazuto's ears ring. He rolled to the desk as Kurenai and Jarreth reloaded their weapons, the half-vampire slapping a new magazine into his pistol and the werewolf pumping shells into his shotgun. Then the gunfight continued, all three of them fighting as one.

The throaty bellow of Kazuto's revolver went silent as his gun clicked empty and placed it back in the holster, the blaring of the AKs continuing in a steady stream. Kazuto unsheathed Valkyrie and looked at his hand and them back at the situation he was in. He scowled and bit his finger, his teeth drawing blood as his teeth sharpened into fangs, his hair lightening into a metallic silver. He glided his bleeding finger across the black blade, a deep blue hue of fire licking across the flame. He stood up and wiped his blade in a wide arc, metal clinking to the ground as bullets were sliced half completely. Kazuto took Valkyrie in two hands, the hilt long enough to support both of his hands at the same time, and took a ready stance with his legs spread apart and not of his arms holding the blade's tip outward and the hilt near his cheek.

"Hellfire!", Kazuto snarled, the magically enhanced flames licking against the blade glowing intensely. Kazuto took a step forward, made a wide arc with his blade, and deflected several bullets.

"Rookie, you idiot! You're going to get us all killed!", Jarreth shouted as he ducked under another split bullet, the lightning fast metal shattering the stone tiled floor.

"I'm trying! Shut the fuck up, Shiloh!", Kazuto growled which making Jarreth yell like a puppy.

Kazuto walked forward slowly, menacingly, up the stairs with his cloak dragging against the carpeted steps and said nothing as the gunmen threw their guns to the ground and made a run for the doors, their ammunition spent. The first one tore at the door's handle and shouted in fear as he tugged on the locked door with the other four behind doing the same. Kazuto grabbed one mercenary with one hand, his fingers gripping the man's temples tightly before he opened his eyelids, his glowing red eyes looking down at the ground. The veins all over his body began to turn black, forming into a spiderweb-like design. He began to chuckle to himself, a dark and terrifying sound that sent shivers of fear down everyone's backs. Jet black scales formed on his right arm, a gauntlet forming all the way to his shoulder, the jagged armor's red gems glowing.

**[Let me loose.]**, a dark, deep, almost demonic male voice demanded in his head.** [I can feel the enjoyment deep down in your mind. Admit it, you love ripping your opponents to shreds with your sword. But you deny your feelings. Open Pandora's Box and kill all who stand in your way.]**

(_Stay your path, Divine Warrior!_), an angelic, beautiful female voice said as the black armor grew to cover his right side, his eye twitching in pain as it alot began to form over his eye. (_Do not let Astarot corrupt your path! Stay true and fight for justice and for the weak!_)

Kazuto dashed forward, wrapping his hand around a mercenary's throat and slammed the man to the ground, a crater forming in the stone that began to spill with red, and the mercenary's neck snapped. Kazuto turned and sidestepped a wild swipe from the female mercenary of the group, her black eyes trailing tears as she swiped wildly. Kazuto ducked under her arms as she continued to swing wildy, whirled around behind her, and severed her head completely from her shoulders, her head rolling across the floor and down the stairs. Kazuto turned and glanced at the remaining three, all of them shaking as his hardened red glare met them, before he walked forward. Two mercenaries, at the same time, nodded and charged forward. Kazuto mowed the first down in a flurry of slices and ripped the other into pieces in a blur of swipes, slices, and swings.

Kazuto walked forward slowly, step by step, towards the final mercenary,. The black armor fading away back into his right arm in a flash of purple. Kazuto fought to keep himself from collapsing in exhaustion when the armor vanished, every single bit of energy in his body gone in an instant. Yet, he trudged on, Valkyrie's black blade gliding across the stone floor as he slowly moved forward. The final mercenary back away in fear as Kazuto stepped forward.

"Please don't do this!", she begged for her life as Kazuto got two feet away from her, dropping her assault rifle and backig away. Kazuto continued to walk forward. "Please, I have a family!" Kazuto took another step forward and she backed away quickly. Her back hit the wooden door and, staring into his eyes with unshed tears, said, "You, you're not human." Kazuto rammed his sword into her stomach, twisting slowly before he tore it sideways, her dark red blood painted across the wall and stained his blade. "You... monster.", she gasped as she slid down front he door slowly and onto the floor, her eyes dulling of life.

"Damn," Jarreth breathed out as both him and Kurenai watched Kazuto's brutality, "What happened to preserving life, rookie?" Kazuto thrust Valkyrie downwards, flinging all the blood from the blade to the stone, and held the weapon in front of him, the light from the lantern reflecting against the blade. He turned to them and sheathed Valkyrie, using his left hand to wipe flecks of blood from his face.

"They sewed their fate and accepted death when they took the job. I'm just the reaper here to collect." Jarreth and Kurenai didn't fail to notice the cold tone in his voice.

"Damn, Cipher.", Jarreth said as he shifted uncomfortably. "That's cold. Even for you." Kazuto didn't pay him any attention beforre he kicked the large wooden doors open, the low thud echoing in the large chamber. The imprisoned exorcists stared at the three of them in joy, screaming in the bandana gags around their mouths, most of them flinching from the sudden light.

"Holy shit...", Jarreth and Kurenai cursed at the same time as the exorcists, who were mostly young boys and girls save for one woman, all screamed in their gags. Kazuto removed the knife in the sheath he kept wrapped around his right leg near his combat boot and made his way around the room, cutting the ropes and gags they used to keep the exorcists still. Kazuto snarled as the children began to cry about the "mean man who beat them up" and all three of the able bodies exorcists all agreed that they were going to kill Azureil. Kazuto ripped the gag from the woman's mouth and she cried: "Get out! Everyone get out of here. The mercenaries set up C4 on the suppor beams!"

Jarreth took a deep breath from his nose. "She's right. I can smell the charges but we won't be able to deactivate them." Kurenai and Kazuto both glared at the werewolf.

"And now you tell us?!", they both shouted, making Jarreth flinch and rub his ears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that I bought these fucking phenominal brownies from a few guys that were behind the sake store. This stuff is the shit, I can't even remember the last time alcohol made me feel this way!"

"Are you telling me that you're high?", Kazuto asked unbelievingly, the sweatdrop forming on his forehead rivaling Kurenai's.

Jarreth chuckled, removed his Dodgers cap, and rubbed at hair, his white ears flat against his head before he pulled it tightly back around his head. "Hehe, well I sure as hell ain't low." Kurenai and Kazuto both snickered and began to cough to hide it. Oh, the irony. Jarreth was the shortest Werewolf in the Silverrain Clan.

"Nothing, Jarreth. We're just trying to rise above the situation and about how low and desperate Azureil has gotten." Kazuto snickered, "The mercenaries and hostages were a low blow." Kurenai strained to hide his laughter in his sleeve.

"We're going to need a little help.", Kurenai chuckled as realization dawned on Jarreth's face. He would've retorted if the woman didn't jump up and shout: "This is not the time nor the place for a miniature melt down!" Jarreth pouted and walked out of the room, eventually leaving the library entirely. Kazuto turned and winked at the woman, her cheeks tinting a dark pink, before he motioned to everyone in the room to leave. They complied and left the building like he asked since no one doesn't listen to the gilded hero who saved their lives. Kazuto smirked and wiped the small fleck of blood that stained his cheek. He turned around and the female merc wary he stabbed in the stomach standing in the doorway, blocking his way, with a crazed smile. And she had a detonator in her hand.

"Shit.", Kazuto cursed as the woman cackled, the laugh laced with pain-induced insanity. She placed a shaky finger on the button and Kazuto stood still as his mind raced for a way out of the situation.

"You ripped my friends to pieces and left me to die. Let's see how you like having your fate left in someone's hands!" Her thumb slammed the orange button down and at fist, nothing. Then there was the hiss of sound and a burst of orange-red flame that started around the support pillars that spread out and began to consume everything. Kazuto stood still, his legs shaking, before he collapsed to his knees and allowed the flames to consume him.

* * *

Kurenai turned around watched the building burst into rubble and flame, the burst of deafening sound shaking trees and making the little kids hide their ears in their hands Kurenai watched as the building collapsed and the fire spread to the trees. Jarreth gazed at the brilliant flames that reflected against his brown eyes.

"Poor rookie...", he said as flames crackled in the night. "What are we going to tell his family?" Kurenai breathed out deeply from his nose.

"He was adopted by the Hyoudou family in Kuoh. His real parents are dead." Kurenai turned his head and glared at Jarreth out of the corner of his eyes. "Crying for his mommy, huh?" Jarreth didn't acknowledge him and watched the inferno. Kurenai, out of the corner of his eye, saw a black piece of clothing ablaze that slowly fell to the earth. He recognized it as Kazuto's cloak. He walked towards it and caught it in his hand, patting the flames out and folding it before stuffing it into his satchel.

"Come on.", Kurenai said after awhile of standing in silence. "We have to go back and report the losses. And tell Gabriel that her apprentice has fallen in battle." The group nodded and gave their fallen comrade a moment of silence before they trudged back to the church.

* * *

The door to the church creaked open and the remaining exorcists that survived the failed raid poured in, some crying while others looked pale and about to be sick. Gabriel and the expierienced exorcists watched as ten out of the original ninety exorcists walked in with pained expressions. Gabriel looked through the crowd, looking for the man she wanted to confess to. She spent the four hours he was gone to word her confession and spent the four hours longing for his touch, his hand in hers, his loving words directed towards her, and his lips against hers. But instead of seeing Kazuto, the man she fell hopelessly in love with, she was approached by another exorcist. His red eyes gave her a look of pity and her heart stopped. Why was he looking at her like that? He reached behind him and into his satchel and pulled out a torn, burnt, and battered black cloak. And Gabriel's heart stopped as he handed it to her.

"He once told me that if he never came back, that he wanted you to have this. I'm sorry, Gabriel.", Kurenai said, trying to hide the shaking of his fingers, every cell in his body telling him to shred Azureil to pieces for his brother-in-arms.

She felt the warm tears trail down her cheeks and the attention of every exorcist and Angel in the room focused on her. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, Kazuto's cloak in her arms, and began to sob as the realization that her first love was dead dawned on her. She began to relive every single memory she had of her and Kazuto. His smile. His warm, pale skin against hers. Her head against his shoulders when she fell asleep. The times he fell asleep during lessons. The times he fell asleep in her office and she would always look up from the paperwork she was doing to stare at him. The times he would learn a difficult spell to impress her. The times he would fight against insurmountable odds and come back to her. The times they hugged. The times she kissed his cheek. The times where she ate lunch with him by themselves. The time where she realized that he was clueless when it came to women being attracted to him. The times she was upset or stressed and he was there to help her through it. And now he was gone. She cried as the thought of them being together was crushed in an instant. She never felt more alone.

Gabriel stood up and made her way into her office, ignoring the worried looks she got as she passed by, and locked the door behind her. She collapsed down on the couch that Kazuto always slept on and buried her face into the pillow. She breathed in and could smell the cherry scent his hair always had and she slowly drifted into peaceful sleep.


	6. Down in the Crypts

Chapter five: Down in the Crypts

Disclaimer¦ I do not Highschool DxD

* * *

_At some point in our lives, we've heard the many stories where some brave hero gives their life to make a better tomorrow and save the day. And because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and evil is vanquished. But the heroes, they never know if their sacrifice meant anything. They never know. They just hope they do; and the people they leave behind, they're emboldened, no, they're pissed that their friend had to die and are ready to put their enemies heads on pikes for revenge. The conflict ends, they mourn the dead, life moves on, and it's the survivors' responsibility to rebuild so that the sacrifices weren't in vain. And the hero never knows that, because of their sacrifice,_

_Ain't that a bitch?_

Kazuto's chest rose as he took a quick, desperate breath for air, his exhale disturbing the dust from crushed stone and the ash. The Library was torched, nothing remained but the shape it left in the ground; the stone pillars had completely shattered when the explosion went off, which, of course, was no surprise. The wood in it's design was either still burning or was nothing but ash being blown away by the late night wind. Nothing left but rubble and destruction and a remote, silent forest. Except for the sinking hole where the main hall was built. Much of the rubble had fallen into the pit, an empty, carved labyrinth underneath the building that had once covered it.

Kazuto's eyes were moving underneath his eyelids, dark crimson circles around his eyes, blood flowing from a deep cut on his scalp. His eyes opened slowly, red and irritated, before he looked around in confusion, nothing but stone and the dark. Kazuto tried to move, straining, heaving to get up. All he could do was move his head. Kazuto took a wheezy breath as he managed to stand up, though he was hunched over as he did. He clutched his side in pain, a jagged, deep cut that was oozing and bleeding, meat, skin, gore, and blood sticking to his burned and hole riddled black t-shirt. Kazuto grabbed at his side, ignoring the sickening squelch his hand made when it touched the wound, as he walked forward.

"Why am I not dead?", Kazuto asked, his voice hoarse and dry. He ducked underneath a pillar, light invading the dark and illuminating the small portion of the collapsed building. His body was sore as he took a few steps, or limps forward toward the exit, stepping out to a hallway carved from stone and covered in runes and glyphs. Kazuto increased the pressure on the wound near his oblique muscles (even though he never exercised), and took a step forward, his boots stepping on the dirt floor as he reached out and ran his hand against a familiar image carved in stone.

The Grim Reaper sat on his horse of bones, the stallion standing on it's hind legs and kicking the front ones, the skeleton rider on it's back holding on by one boney hand, it's scythe at the ready to reap the poor soul that ran from it's master in the other. Kazuto shivered at the image and removed his hand from the image and moved down hall, ignoring the haunting images of death, and the horror of torture in the afterlife carved on the walls. Finally, after at least a minute of walking, the carvings ended and it came to one room, held shut by a steel door. Muffled music played behind the shut door. Kazuto placed his hand on the knob, anxiety causing him to look behind himself. This place is damn creepy and there is no way it was empty or that nothing heard a building collapse into the catacomb. Kazuto took a deep breath and opened the door.

_Gimme, gimme shelter or I'm going to fade away!_

Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones played on a cassette player in the small room, modern fluorescent lights hanging above and illuminating the table in front of him, a respirator mask and a sawed-off double barrel shotgun with an ammo box filled to the brim with shotgun shells. Kazuto felt like he had stepped through a totally different place; a runic catacomb and then the Institute? The exorcist checked behind himself again as he shut the door, unease eating away at him as he walked toward the table, his hands touching the mask and gun before he noticed a small piece of paper, folded neatly and tucked away underneath tbe respirator. He slid the piece of paper out from underneath it's hiding place, unfolding it, and read the note scrawled out in Sharpie:

**If you're reading this, it means you're on Ghül duty. Good job pulling the short straw. Taking care of the Ghüls is simpls; feeding them is all you have to do but if they get disobedient, use this shotgun and send them back to our Lord. And wear a goddamn respirator, it smells like shit. Don't know if it blocks out smell, but here's to hoping for you. DON'T GO NEAR the ones who are changing. Yours,**

**\- A**

Kazuto put the note down, confused. What the hell is a Ghül?

He looked at the steel door, footsteps echoing and getting closer. Shit! Kazuto panicked, looking for somewhere to hide but the small room offered no hiding spot. Kazuto just hid next to the doorframe, hoping no one looked next door. The door swung open, Azureil walking sporting bandages wrapped around his back where his wing used to be and, smelling blood and turned to Kazuto.

"Really?" the Fallen Angel asked. "Did you even try to hide?"

Kazuto rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you didn't give me much to work with so this was the best I could think of at the time. Yeah..."

"I mean, you just hid next to the door, I could've come in looking towards you and it'd be over in a second if I had my gun."

"Yeah, I know..."

The room was filled with silence and it became awkward. Kazuto punched Azureil dead in the nose with his left hand, bones crunching in Azureil's nose and Kazuto's last two knuckles.

"Ah, what the hell! You can't even knock me out!" He placed a finger on his nose. "Ow! I think you broke my nose!" Azureil sat on the floor, trying to stop the flow of blood from his nostrils.

"What about my knuckles!" Kazuto sat on the table, holding his last two fingers together.

"Do you even breathe with your fingers?!"

Kazuto shouted, grabbing the shotgun and slapping the Angel in the jaw with the handle and sending his head down to the floor. With an unconscious Fallen Angel down, and proof that he wasn't alone, Kazuto had to get back to the church. He looked at the small shotgun in his hand; 8 gauge, no stock, and light. He was going to enjoy this.

He leveled the shotgun down to Azureil's head and pulled the trigger. The gun just clicked.

"Well, that didn't work and I'm not killing him with my teeth." Kazuto said with annoyance.

Kazuto decided it was a good time to treat the oozing wound on his side. He lifted the T-shirt up, barely able to keep himself from gagging as the clotted and definitely infected wound dripped bits of meat as the squeezing of his shirt left when he pulled it off, his absolutely broken fingers screaming. In pain, Kazuto wrapped the tee around his wound and tied the sleeves for more pressure. Kazuto tried, he really did. Holding it in was hard.

He screamed.

He screamed in agonizing torture, tears of pain clouding his eyes. The scream echoed down the hellish hallway, and the sound of running footfalls down the runic hall.

Oh, fuck me!

Kazuto grabbed the shotgun, finding the latch and breaking the weapon in half, two spent shells wizzing past his head. Kazuto rushed to the table and practically ripped the top off of the ammo box and dug his hand in, shotgun shells dripping from his hand as he loaded two in and placed the rest back in the steel box and took the box into his right hand, the shotgun in his left.

"Come on, you sons of bitches!" Kazuto shouted as he placed his shoulder to the right of the door frame. Valkyrie was somewhere in the rubble, and, as shitty as he was with guns, he needed something to protect himself.

"We need Azureil back here!" a woman shouted from down the hall. "I can't handle our Lord's gifts alone!"

Men, all garbed in long, black hooded robes, Ak-47s in their hands as they sprinted toward the exorcist, their cloaks billowing behind them. As they ran, at the same time, quick and calculated, they removed their right hands from the trigger, and pulled back and cocked their rifles, bullets raining down against the stone wall Kazuto hid behind. With ricochets in his ear, Kazuto waited for a pause, which finally came when they had to reload, and charged out the door and toward the Cloaked Men. The Cloaked Men finished reloading and the brass hail flew once more, bullets catching his right arm twice, both of his shoulders, and three times in the right leg. Kazuto pushed through, his will alone pushing him along. The hall seemed to shorten as Kazuto slid past the Cloaked Men, and unloaded a round into the man on the right. The gun bounced, sending his wrist back farther than his .44 did. His wrist ached, but the man fell to the ground. Kazuto whipped around quick before he got a round in the back and shot the remaining shell, lead thunder tearing into last Cloaked Man. Kazuto got up, aching and sore, but he was still kicking.

He looked down and placed the shotgun in his pocket, the weapon making his pocket bulge and the handle stuck out. He pried the fingers off of the AK and held it up. Looks cool, he thought. He rounded the corner, rifle in hand, before he stopped immediately. What he saw was shocking.

A female Fallen Angel was kneeling, blue magic battling in her hands, her Victorian dress barely passing as clothing with all the rips and tears it had. Kazuto watched in amazement, blue bashing against dark purple, magic becoming unstable. The Fallen screamed in effort, literally haulling the black magic toward herself and threw it up into the air. With a sense of accomplishment, she kneeled in a bizarre way.

She was offering herself.

"Oh, mighty Hades, Ruler of the Underworld, Master of Death, I, your humble servant, plead to you oh mighty Dread Lord, to bestow upon me your gift to control your subjects!"

The magic became unstable, warping and shaking until the magic dissipated, leaving behind a large black mass. It was indecisive, flickering between the Angel and the exorcist before it flew through Kazuto so lightning fast, he didn't see it move. In an instant, all the energy and the warmth disappeared; Kazuto felt frozen to the bone and exhausted to the point where he could barely hold himself up. The mass stopped as if to mock before it shot down the hall. Toward the unconscious Azureil.

Kazuto knew he was fucked if he stayed, so he ran as fast as he could without passing out.

"I want **HIS **head! Send the Ghüls!" an angry voice came from deep within the cavern. Kazuto just kept running, no idea where to, but he had to get the fuck away. Kazuto could hear people running behind him but he didn't look back. Fuck this place. Kazuto had no idea when he got outside but he was. Doesn't matter, he thought, he wanted to get the hell away. Soon enough, after what felt like years, Kazuto stopped. He fell to his knees, his skin crawling and chalk white. He tried to keep himself from hyperventilating but failed. He felt different; that, that _thing _had taken his mind and his energy. He felt helpless.

Four girls rushed him, and they wore the same school uniform. Confused, Kazuto lfted his AK, only for a girl with blonde hair and gray eyes to put a sword to his throat. Kazuto could've cared less. Two girls were behind him, he could sense that but he couldn't see. A girl with beautiful eyes and hair as crimson as the blood flowing from his wounds approached him, placing her arms under her bust.

"You were the one who destroyed the library and killed the Fallen we were after. You have my thanks."

Kazuto felt exhaustion on a level no ordinary human could, like he had ran across the Atlantic, but decided to fall asleep then and there. Kazuto leaned and collapsed, asleep. He could still hear voices, and after a few minutes saw the red flash.


	7. Power

Chapter six: Power

Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD

* * *

Azuriel rubbed his jaw as he sat up, his head pounding painfully as he stood up slowly, wiping his eyes as he finally managed to stand up without almost toppling over. He turned to go down the hallway to help deal with that lone exorcist but, as soon as he walked out the door, a black mist went through him, melding into his very being. He was cold, shaking in fact, as if all jthe heat in his body had been absorbed. Azuriel dropped to his knees as he felt the overwhelming rush of power go through his body. His tan complexion turned a ghost white, his fingernails sharpening into claws. Four more pairs of pitch black, feathered wings burst from his back. Even the wing he had lost regenerated, taking back it's old spot near his left shoulder blade. His eyes burned for a second as they turned black as the void. His canines sharpened into fangs, ram horns growing from the side of his head, his short brown hair growing in length to his shoulders. He stood up, his change complete. He didn't realize how loud he had been screaming.

Azuriel hobbled out the door, all his energy drained from him and dizziness consuming him. He put one foot after the other, walking slowly down the hall.

"I want **HIS **head!" Amirael shouted, her usually sweet voice filled with rage snapping Azuriel from a trance. "Send the Ghüls!"

Azuriel smirked, ignoring the voices behind him as he walked past Iuthe awestruck followers of his cult and through the passageway they had dug to the surface. He had a score to settle with that kid. The Fallen Angel was in the torchlit tunnel for a total of two minutes before he saw the early morning haze, jumping up into the air and flying upward to get a bird's eye view of the dense forest that surrounded the library on all sides until you see the dirt road. Despite being six miles from Kuoh, the forest was a great hideaway from the Three Factions so Azuriel's army of Ghüls would go unnoticed until it was too late.

Azuriel noticed the red flash of a Devil's teleportation circle, drawing his attention to his left. He smirked, diving down in a spinning spiral and slammed into the ground in a kneeling position, all ten of his wings spread outwards. He stood up, spreading his arms out with palms up, blue fire forming in his hands as he cackled. The kid dropped to the ground unconscious and the Devils fell to their knees as his power filled the forest, suffocating the air with pure evil.

Azuriel was hoping all three Factions could feel it too. He wanted them to witness the show!

* * *

_AN: Sorry the chapter is short but I need something introductory to get me back in the game. It's been awhile and work is killing me, but I will press on! I have ideas for this story that's going to take it somewhere! I promise, chapter seven will be my longest and best chapter so far!_


	8. Update!

Aegis: Hey guy! It's Aegis. It's been awhile so I'm taking a break from studying because you deserve a reason why my uploads have been slow. So, the reason my uploads have been slow or nonexistent is because I've recently entered medical school (Go ahead. Get the "Nerd!" out of your systems.), and I've been studying my ass off like crazy. If I had known that med school was going to cut into my writing, I would've picked something else because this is what I enjoy. So, yeah. That's it.

?: Are you sure about that?

Aegis: *Facepalms* Son of a bitch, not these guys again...

*Seven men enter the room, surrounding the author*

Kazuto: You better get to writing. You and I have a long road ahead of us.

Michael: You? What makes you so important than the rest of us?

Kazuto: I don't know about you,_ Ice Queen_, but some of us have been here longer than you. Veterans first

Kazuma: Yeah, what the hell! Suddenly you're more important than us?

Kazuto: Kazuma, shut up! You spend most of your off time in your underwear so I don't see what makes you so special.

Michael: Daaamn! He told you!

Kazuma: Ah, shut up Michael. You're just a glorified Kamina.

Aegis: Come on guys, stop it! This is getting old!

Soldier 76: Is this when I make a debut?

Takehito: *Filming in the back, chuckling* This shit is _soo_ going on YouTube!

Jason: *Lights a cigarette and walks next to Aegis, placing a hand on the author's shoulder and making a ball of lightning in the palm of his right hand* How about you let me worry about these idiots, and you get back to writing?*

Aegis: Okay. *Goes to his laptop and finishes the update*

Thank you for understanding!


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